UAE airlines cancel, divert Tel Aviv, Beirut flights due to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict

Passengers booked on Israel and Lebanon flights are being assisted with their travel arrangements

Waheed Abbas

Published: Sun 25 Aug 2024, 9:51 AM

Last updated: Sun 25 Aug 2024, 3:16 PM

UAE airlines on Sunday cancelled and diverted flights to and from Israel and Lebanon due to conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

UAE national carrier Etihad Airways cancelled its services to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut as conflict escalated and Israel’s main airport was closed temporarily.

“Etihad Airways has cancelled its services to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut on Sunday, August 25, in response to the closure of Tel Aviv airport and ongoing regional developments. Tel Aviv flights affected are EY593 from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Tel Aviv (TLV) and EY594 from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi. Beirut flights affected are EY535 from Abu Dhabi to Beirut (BEY) and EY538 from Beirut to Abu Dhabi,” an Etihad Airways spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.

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Dubai-based flydubai said it diverted its Dubai-Tel Aviv flight FZ 1245 to Ramon International Airport (ETM) on August 25 due to the temporary closure of Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV).

The Dubai-based airline also diverted its Dubai-Tel Aviv flight FZ 1245 to Ramon International Airport (ETM) on August 25 due to the temporary closure of Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV).

“The return flight FZ 1246 has been cancelled and we are in touch with passengers regarding their rebooking options. Flights today are currently scheduled to operate following the reopening of Ben Gurion Airport. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and amend our schedule accordingly. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights on flydubai.com for the latest information,” a flydubai spokesperson said.

Earlier, newswires reported that Israel conducted precise strikes in Lebanon in order to thwart an imminent threat from Hezbollah against Israel. Israel declared a 48-hour state of emergency at 0300 GMT (7am UAE time) on Sunday, after the strikes in Lebanon.

Hezbollah said it also carried out a large scale attack with rockets and drones on Israel after of its commanders was killed in Israeli attack.

“The declaration on the state of emergency enables the IDF (Israeli military) to issue instructions to the citizens of Israel, including limiting gatherings and closing sites where it may be relevant," said Yoav Gallant, defence minister of Israel.

On Sunday, Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority announced resumption of flights to and from Tel Aviv’s main airport Ben Gurion after a brief suspension due to Israel’s military attack on Hezbollah’s targets in Lebanon.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said passengers booked on Israel and Lebanon flights are being assisted with their travel arrangements.

“Etihad is monitoring the situation across the region and continues to maintain close contact with authorities…The safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority and we regret any inconvenience caused by this cancellation,” said an Etihad spokesperson.

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